Mold Illness Recovery Protocol- EndSickness
Mold illness is far more common than anyone thinks. Despite what many “experts” believe, there are countless conditions that can be caused by indoor mold sensitivity. Some examples are autoimmune diseases, neurological issues, food intolerances, autism, migraines, anxiety, learning disabilities and plenty more. The reality is, you wouldn’t believe it unless you experienced it, like I did.
In this article, I will help you identify if mold sensitivity is your problem. I will also go over the critical steps necessary to recover from this invisible menace. First things first, let’s figure out how to identify if mold is contributing to your health problems.
Identifying Mold as Potential Cause
Mold exposure can cause nearly any symptoms, but they are usually accompanied by problems in your lungs, sinuses, or skin. Common examples are shortness of breath, stuffiness, constriction of sinuses, coughing, runny nose, eczema, and hives. This is why it is essential to rule out mold when you have any type of chronic illness. I don’t care if you have migraines, COPD, autoimmune disease, seizures, or depression; mold MUST be considered.
One way to see if you have a mold problem is to remove yourself from the environment for a couple weeks and then re-introduce yourself. As long as you are retreating to a clean environment, you will see a difference if there is an issue. I have seen this on several occasions with clients who go on vacation and feel much better. When they return back to their home full of mold, their symptoms worsen within five days or so. Though this is not the most official way to test for mold, it is probably my favorite. None the less, it doesn’t hurt to verify mold exposure by using other testing methods.
Best Testing Methods for Mold Illness
Indoor Tests: The best testing methods for indoor mold are my customized Petri dish method, the ERMI test, and the mycotoxin swab test. If you are looking for an inexpensive way to see if you have a mold problem, the petri dish test is the best place to start. Keep in mind though, you must follow the instructions in the post. If you are looking for a more sophisticated test that is strain-specific, the ERMI is the best option. When doing this test, you cannot clean your house for 30 days prior to sample collection. This will make the results skewed.
Lab Tests: You can also get a mycotoxin urinalysis to show how many mold toxins are present in your body. Though it can helpful in many cases, for some people, it is still not conclusive. The reason is, some people may have more exaggerated immune responses than others when they encounter a specific mycotoxin. You can have one person that has moderately elevated mycotoxins levels, and has no problems. Then you can have another person with the same levels who is severely ill. In short, the symptoms depend more on the level of immune sensitivity than they do the level of mycotoxin.
The key point to remember about mold testing is that it CAN identify the amount of mold, but it CAN NOT determine how sensitive you are to it. You could have a mold test come back normal, yet the person is still getting sick in the home. This is why simply removing yourself from the environment for a couple of weeks and then re-introducing yourself can be the easiest way to confirm if there is an issue. Some people even camp out for a while and then return to their homes. If that isn’t an option for you, find a safe place to stay with PLENTY of ventilation, stick to the same dietary routine, and look for any improvements.
Now that we have covered different testing methods, let’s go into the protocol so you can overcome mold illness once and for all. Do yourself a favor and don’t neglect any of these sections. They are all just as important as each other. Together, they form a comprehensive approach that will help you overcome mold illness and transform you into the best version of yourself. Take a look below to get started.
Mold Illness Recovery Protocol
Dietary Changes
When there is chronic exposure to mycotoxins, protein and fat digestion can become impaired. This is a big problem for someone who consumes animal products multiple times per day. These undigested proteins/fats can irritate the gut lining, causing inflammation and increased susceptibility to food sensitivities. In addition, they can encourage the growth of pathogenic bacteria.
To heal from mold illness, you need to reduce the amount of protein and fat in your diet. Rather than living on protein and fat for fuel, you must rely more on fiber/carbohydrates. This takes stress off of your immune system, kidneys, liver, cells, and more. The best way to accomplish this is by eating mostly plant-based foods which are high in fiber. Trust me, don’t eat meat too often, or you will be stunted in your healing. I see this time and time again with clients who are unwilling to reduce their intake of animal products. Once they finally do, the benefits are obvious within just a few weeks.
Not sure which plant-based foods you should start adding in? Review the hypoallergenic food list. This will help you form a diet that is founded on low allergy plant-based foods. Also, take a look at the plant-based elimination diet to learn more about identifying your trigger foods and creating an anti-inflammatory diet that soothes your immune system. These will be the two main tools you need for success. If you’re NOT triggering yourself AT ALL in your diet, you are halfway home!
Mycotoxin Binders
Once you have modified your diet, it is time to implement the binders. These are essential to eliminating the toxins responsible for many of your symptoms. The most important point to remember is that all of your binders must be immune modulators. If they bind to toxins but also aggravate the immune system, you are moving in the wrong direction.
Are you wondering which mycotoxin binders fit this criteria? Take a look below. I have listed my favorite binders and the doses I used successfully in the past. This will help guide you on your path back to wellness. Keep in mind that these are NOT recommendations. They are simply what has worked for my daughter, self and clients.
Takesumi Supreme by Supreme Nutrition
This is my favorite product because of its broad mycotoxin binding capacity. Though it may look like activated charcoal, it isn’t. Takesumi is a special form of carbonized bamboo with 10 times the surface area and 4 times the binding capacity compared to activated charcoal. In addition, unlike most activated charcoal supplements, this product has been well tolerated by those with stomach issues. The ideal dose is 4 capsules, up to 5 days per week, always 30 minutes before a meal.
Mediclay FX by Premier Research Labs
This is a special form of bentonite clay that has been cleaned of all contaminants and verified by a third party. This type of clay has a very broad binding capacity, so it can remove most types of mycotoxins. I found it is best to start with 1 capsule and work your way up to 3 to 4 per dose max, 4 days per week, always 30 minutes before eating.
Cell Defender by Avini Health
Zeolite is considered the master detoxifier because it cleanses you of VARIOUS types of harmful substances. This is a unique form of zeolite that has been activated/micronized and cleaned of all contaminants. My experiences with it have been amazing. I saw significant changes in my daughter, myself, and others shortly after starting this product. It is the only product I have become a reseller for because of these positive experiences. The dosage I used was 7 drops, 3 times per day, always at least 30 minutes before eating. If you are very ill, I would gradually work my way up to that dose over a few weeks.
Apple Pectin by BulkFoods.com
This is the most underrated mycotoxin binder out there. The reason is, it can sequester bile from the gallbladder and then bind to the toxins in the gut. This is absolutely essential when recovering from mold illness since many of your mycotoxins are stored in the bile. Another thing that makes pectin unique is that you can consume 10x the amount versus any other product. This means there is plenty of potential if you build your tolerance to larger doses.
Your dosage strategy will depend on how tolerant you are to fiber. Start off slow and eventually work your way up to 7 to 10 g per day, 5 days per week. You can either encapsulate it, or mix it with applesauce. In my opinion, encapsulation is best because it allows you take it on an empty stomach which causes the bile dump. The only problem is, it takes a lot of work to encapsulate the powder. The applesauce method is still very helpful, just less than using the capsules
BioToxin Binder by CellCore
This product contains broccoli sprout extract, humic/fulvic extract, and yucca root. These ingredients have the potential to bind to a wide variety of toxins. In addition, the broccoli sprout extract can increase natural production of glutathione and other important detox enzymes. I found this product to be helpful but not as important as the ones already mentioned. In my experience, it was best to take it after completing a few months on the products listed above. I found that the best dose was 3 capsules, 4 days per week, taken 30 minutes before a meal.
Diatomaceous Earth by DiatomaceousEarth.com
The supplement contains silica which has significant binding capacity, and PLENTY of other benefits for the body. Though it would not be my first choice for mycotoxin removal, it does have great potential. After completing the other products listed above, I would mix a teaspoon with a few ounces of water and take it on an empty stomach, 4 days per week. If you don’t notice any benefit after a few weeks, you can increase the dose. Keep in mind though, too much can cause stomach distress.
Prebiotic Supplements
When you are initially recovering from mold illness, you need to stabilize the good bacteria in your stomach. The reason is, you need these bacteria to remove mycotoxins if you are ever exposed in the future. In addition, these bacteria extract nutrients from food and keep your immune system calm. The best way to increase good bacteria is through using prebiotics. These are actually more helpful than probiotics because they feed a wide variety of beneficial bacteria. If used consistently, they can replenish the good bacteria, and restore balance to the immune system. Both of these are essential if you want to maintain your health.
My favorite prebiotics to use are raw colostrum, acacia senegal, inulin, arabinogalactan, cocoa powder, apple pectin wolfberry extract, and bee propolis. These are best to use AFTER you are done with the binders. Ideally, I found it best to take a few of these one day, and the rest on another day. Remember, it is important to start slow and gradually build the dose. Be patient when using prebiotics; it may take a few weeks to notice the progress, but in my experience, it’s well worth the wait.
Nutrient Deficiencies
Mycotoxin illness can cause severe stress on the body, depleting it of essential nutrients like magnesium, zinc, vitamin D, B12, omega 3, selenium, and glutathione. For this reason, it is important to restore these deficiencies after taking mycotoxin binders and prebiotics. If you try to restore these deficiencies earlier on in the process, you may have a negative reaction to the supplements, or you may not even absorb them properly. This is why it is important to wait until this stage to address these key deficiencies.
You must replace the nutrient deficiencies in the correct order to avoid causing further problems. First, you want to start with a plant based magnesium (Natures Answer) and DHA supplement derived from algal oil (Freshfield). Once you have been on that for a couple weeks, then you want to add in the zinc. After another week, you add in the plant-derived selenium (Triquetra) and B12 (Plant Fusion). Keep in mind, the selenium and B12 must be taken every other day to avoid overdosing on them. For more information on restoring key nutrient deficiencies in MCAS, click the link provided.
Liver Flushes
When people are exposed to mold, they often develop gallstones and sludge in their gallbladder. If this is not removed from the body, it can cause stress on the liver and the detoxification system. In my experience, these flushes were critical to overcoming my health issues. I eliminated HUNDREDS of stones over the course of 30+ flushes. In addition, I have seen plenty of clients do the same who had a history of mold exposure.
If you are interested in learning more about how to perform a liver flush properly, you can watch this video. If you prefer written instructions, I have an article which details the process as well. Both of these will go over the step-by-step instructions and typical questions people have about the process. Ideally, these flushes should be performed every three months until there are no more stones. Trust me, this is a game changer, and it should not be ignored.
Retraining Limbic System
When you are exposed to mold mycotoxins, it can put your body into a state of fight or flight. This often persists after eliminating exposure and taking mycotoxin binders. To be able to get control of your autonomic nervous system, it is important to implement stress reduction practices. Some examples are slow stretching, taking warm baths, light yoga, meditation, massage, sensory deprivation, etc. Though these are all great, there is one stress-reduction technique that shines brighter than the rest: “slow deep breathing”.
When performing the slow deep breathing technique, you are sending signals to your brain that everything is OK. If you do this twice daily for 30 minutes each session, your body eventually starts to believe that there are no threats present. This tells the immune system to calm down in your brain so you can exit the fight or flight response. There are countless other benefits to slow deep breathing as well. For more information on the slow deep breathing technique, visit the linked article. It was truly life-changing for me, and it has been for plenty of my clients as well.
Promoting Circulation
After you have been performing slow deep breathing for a few months, it’s time to start increasing circulation. This can be done through long walks, infrared sauna, light exercise, time in the sun, pickleball, etc. It is important not to overdo these things because that can send you back into a state of flight or flight. This is the absolute last thing you want. The idea with these activities is to start slow and gradually increase your tolerance. This will help you to develop more resistance to stress so that your autonomic nervous system doesn’t overreact to environmental triggers. In addition, it will help to support the natural detoxification and healing of your body.
Sticking with the Changes
When I first started to get well, I wanted to do everything I did before I got sick. The problem was, many of these things led me to become sick in the first place. This led to a battle between what I wanted to do, and what I knew I should do. This went on for several years until I finally got a hold of these counterproductive impulses.
I mentioned my story because I see the same pattern in my clients as they heal. When people get relief, they have a sudden inclination to consume something that could put them at risk. Please be aware of this because it WILL happen. Once you have noticeable symptom relief, your mind will try to convince you to consume something that will trigger you. If you are aware of this before it happens, you can eventually prevent yourself from sabotaging your progress.
Keep in mind that the purpose of the illness was to transform you into a new and improved version of yourself. Let this illness become an opportunity rather than a stroke of bad luck. Trust me, this shift in perspective will make all the difference in the end.
Frequently Asked Questions – Healing from Mycotoxin Illness
Have you used this mold illness recovery protocol before?
Yes, both my daughter and I used this protocol and saw great improvements. My daughter was literally disabled due to her mold sensitivity, and after 8 months of following this protocol, she became symptom-free. Since then, I have used it with plenty of clients as well. In short, if you are willing to make the changes it requires, there is great potential for benefit. The hardest part is really identifying all of your triggers outside of mold, and then making the necessary changes. If you can remove your dietary triggers and eliminate your exposure to mold, recovery is relatively simple from there.
How is this different than the other mold illness protocols?
Most mold illness protocols focus on eliminating exposure and binding to mycotoxins, but they ignore the immune system. My protocol is the opposite, where the immune system is the main priority. The reason is, the immune system causes the inflammation that is responsible for your symptoms. If you control your immune system, you control your symptoms. In addition, no other mold illness protocol recommends a plant-based elimination diet, liver flushes, and slow deep breathing. Lastly, my protocol uses only natural mycotoxin binders which have been proven scientifically to remove mold toxins. I use NOTHING synthetic, so it all aligns with the immune system.
My approach to mold illness focuses not just on eliminating exposure and removing the toxins, but also on making various improvements to recondition the immune response. This is critical to prevent the development of chronic inflammatory response syndrome.
How long after eliminating exposure to feel better?
You can start feeling better within 3 weeks after eliminating exposure. The key point is, you MUST actually eliminate exposure. You cannot simply clean the house or hire an outside company to remediate. This doesn’t guarantee success! Often it is far more complicated than that. In addition, you can’t bring all of your possessions from your old moldy house to your NEW place. This is a recipe for disaster.
After you have found a safe place, you can start the binders and slow breathing program. If you try them before this, you are unlikley to be successful. Do NOT ignore the slow deep breathing, it can dramatically increase the speed of your recovery. This is a common mistake because of the effort it requires.
Do you have to change your diet to overcome mold illness?
You can see great improvements just by eliminating mold exposure. Despite this, you may not be able to fully heal your leaky gut until you eliminate all irritants from your diet. Once you have done this for an extended period of time, then you can gradually re-introduce new foods to see how your body handles it. This is critical if you really want to take your healing to the next level. Learn more about how to accomplish this by reading about the plant-based elimination diet.
Is it necessary to perform the slow deep breathing practice?
If you really want to heal the neurological trauma that comes with mold illness, then I would give it a shot. Often the things which are the hardest to implement produce the greatest results. I know it takes some effort, but trust me, it’s worth it. If you are not convinced, just give it two weeks to see how it affects you. I still haven’t met one person who regrets trying it.
Should I take all of the binders at the same time?
Absolutely not! I would start off with 1 supplement at a time, and work up to 4 max. It is important to understand how your body is responding to each of the supplements. Keep in mind, you can always cycle products in and out, but you don’t want to overload your body with too many supplements.
Conclusion – Recovery from Mold Illness Requires Comprehensive Approach
The protocol mentioned in this article is far more comprehensive than anything else out there. The reason being, it targets the immune system from ALL ANGLES, not just the mycotoxins. The reality is, once you are exposed to mold, your immune system can become dysfunctional. Unless you target the gut/immune system in your recovery from MOLD illness, you will NEVER fully heal.
As I mentioned in the article, you must pay attention to your dietary triggers, environmental irritants, and your sources of stress. Any of these things can trigger your immune system to become irritated, which can cause a flare-up of symptoms. Though you don’t have to live your life this way forever, it is important to make the right choices for AT LEAST six months after eliminating mold exposure. This will give your immune system time to calm down so you can overcome your symptoms once and for all.
If you have any questions about mold sensitivity, reach out. I’m more than willing to help.
Happy healing everyone!
Matt Nedin
Certified Holistic Nutritionist
EndSickness, Founder
Phone: (734) 846-8619
WhatsApp: +17348468619
Email: endsickness@gmail.com
